Time valve mechanism.



No.72&888f PATENTED APR,7,190& ..A.W.KNOX.

TIME VALVE MEGHANISM. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 12, 1902.

10 MODEL.

WITNESSES: WM

'ATTORNEY' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ANDREW 'w' fknox, on NEW YORK, N. Y.

TIME YA'LVE MECHANISM.

SPECIFICATION forming 'part Of Letters Patent No, 724,888, dated April 7, 1903;

Application filed August 12, 1902- Serial No. 119,383. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ANDREW W; KNox, a citizen of the United States, residing in the borough ofManhattan, city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Time Out,

Offs for Fluids, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the class of automatic devices for cutting off a fiuid'at a predetermined time through the agency of a clock or time mechanism; and the'ohject is to provide a simple mechanism for the above purpose capable of general use and of such a character asto avoid wear or undue strain on the parts.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate an embodiment of the invention in a device for turning off gas from a light or lights at a predetermined hour, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the device, the view showing in full lines the gas ignited and the device set for operation. The dotted lines show the positions when the gas is turned 01%. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan view of the gas-cock and adjacent parts.

Referring to Fig. 1, A designates any gaspipeas a gas-bracket, for exampleB a gasjet supplied therefrom, and Q the ordinary (or any) gas-cock to control the supply of gas to the jet. The plug of the gas-cock, as shown in this figure, has its axis horizo'ntally'dis posed, and it is provided with a thumb-piece D, which is rotatable to the extent of a quarter-revolution between stops, as usual.

There need be no departure from the ordinary gas-fixture in the parts described above,

nor is this invention restricted to the above construction in all respects.

Mounted on the thumb-piece D is a lever 1, of any desired form and of suitable proportions. It may have in it a slot to receive the thumb-piece and a set-screw 2 to secure it in place thereto. From one arm of the lever 1 (which may be called the opening-arm) is suspended a relatively light weight 3,and from the other arm (which may be called the closing-arm) is suspended a heavier weight 4. The former is the opening-weight and the latter the closing-Weight.

Pivotally mounted at 5 on any suitable base 6 is a rocking support 7 for the closing-weight 4. This maybe a stem with a cup'at its upper end to retain the weight and at its lower end a shoulder 8 to be engaged by one arm of a tripper-lever 9, pivotally mounted at 10 on the base in any convenient manner. This tripper-lever has an upright arm 9 which occupies a position when the fluid is turned on near the alarm-bell hammer 11 of an ordinary alarm-clock 12. Obviously any clock mechanism with a vibrating hammer or part adapted to be set in motion at a given hour will serve the purpose; but an alarm-clock such as that shown can be purchased at a small cost and by removing the gong will answer the purpose very well.

The parts being set as shown and the alarm set for any hour desired, when the time arrives the hammer 11 will be set vibrating and by impinging on the arm 9 of the tripperlever will rock the latter and free its lockingarm from the shoulder 8 on the stem of the support 7. This locking-arm of the lever 9 being relatively heavy, this lever will turn to the position seenin the dotted lines in Fig. 1. The rocking support 7 is so disposed that the weight '4 is practically directly over pivot.- point 5, so as to avoid all extra strain from leverage; but the center of gravity of the weight or load is'not exactly over said point 5, and when the locking-arm of the tripperlever is disengaged from the shoulder 8 the weight 4 will turn or rock its support 7 in the direction indicated by the arrow 2, thus allowing the weight4 to fall free and inverting the support itself, as indicated in dotted lines. The weight 4 overcomes the lighter opening-weight 3 and acts through the lever l to turn on the gas at the cock 0.

It is desirable that means shall be provided for regulating the extent to which the gas or fluid shall be turned on-th at is, full head or partially-and also means for regulating the extent to which it shall be turned offthat is, wholly or partially. This may be effected by adjustable detent devices,which will now be described.

The lever 1 is slotted at 13, and on it is mounted a detent-arm 14, adjustable along the lever. This arm takes over the gas-pipe A, and by adjusting said arm along the lever to a greater or lesser distance from the fulcrum at the gas-cock said arm can be made to engage the pipe A and arrest the movement of the lever, so as to limit the extent of rotation of the cock-plug as desired. At the other side of the fulcrum of the lever is a slot 15, at which point is mounted a detent-arm 16, which also takes over the pipe A and which may be adjusted along the lever'so as to limit, if desired, the extent to which the light shall weight 3. By setting these detent-arms 14 and 16 far enough from the fulcrum of the lever 1--that is to say, the axis of the cock- 1 plugs-the gas will be turned on full head and be cut entirely E.

Obviously this invention is not restricted to the specific details of construction herein shown, as these may be varied without departing in any material degree from the invention; nor is it material what kind of fluid or liquid is controlled in its flow by the plug. The particular means or mechanism --whic trips the weight at a predetermined time or under certain conditions is not absolutely essential to my invention. For controlling a gas-cock the clock mechanism described is preferred. One important feature of the invention is the supporting of the larger weight on a rocker over the pivot-point or fulcrum, so that the weight is merely supported directly over the pivot nearly in equilibrium. The weight 3 is not absolutely essential.

This invention is obviously adapted for turning ofi automatically a current of electricity supplying a light or motor, and the term cock-plug employed herein should be given a meaning broad enough to include the cut-ofi devices employed in connection with lamps and motorsoperated by electricity and all similar devices where a cut-off is employed. The weight 4 in the construction shown is designed for closing the cock 0, but

' for an electric light it would operate to break the circuit. In any case it is a cut-off weight.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. A device for the purpose specified, comprising a cut-off for the fluid, an operating-lever arm connected therewith, a cut-0E weight suspended therefrom and adapted when unsupported to cut 01? the fluid by gravity, a rocking support for-said weight adapted to hold the latter in inactive position, the weight being carried on the support substantially over the pivotal point of the latter, means for holding said support against rocking, and means for tripping said support automatically under predetermined conditions.

2. A device for the purpose specified, comprising arotatable cut-0E for the fluid, an opcrating-lever connected therewith, a cut-off. weight suspended from one arm of said lever, a rocking, lever-like support for said weight to take the weight of the latter from the operating-lever, a tripper-lever, one arm of be turned down by the closingon one arm of said lever, a heavier,

which looks said support in its supporting position, and means for actuating said tripperlever automatically at a predetermined time to set free the rocking support for the weight.

3. A device for the purpose specified, comprising a rotatable cut-0E for the fluid, a cutofi": weight adapted to operate by gravity to stop the'flow of the fluid by rotating said outoff, a rocking support for said weight, which holds the latter inoperative, a locking'means for said support, and a clock mechanism adapted at a predetermined time to actuate said locking means and thus free the weightsupport and weight.

4. A device for the purpose specified, comprising a rotatable cut-off for the fluid, an operating-lever connected therewith, a weight on one arm of said lever for turning the cutoff so as to permit the flow of the fluid, a heavier weight on the other arm of said lever hj adapted to turn said cut-01f so as to arrest the flow of the fluid, a rocking support for said heavier weight, adapted to hold the latter in an inoperative position, means for locking said support in its supporting position, and a clock mechanism adapted to actuate, at a predetermined time, said locking means for setting free. said support and weight.

5. In adevice for the purpose specified, the

combination with the plug of a fiuid-controlling cock, of a lever 1, fulcrumed on said plug for operating the same, an opening-weight 3 cut-off weight 4 on the other arm of said lever, a rocking support 7 for the weight 4, said support being adapted to turn about its pivotpoint 5 and having a locking-shoulder 8 at its lower part, a tripper-lever 9, having a locking-arm to engage said shoulder 8, and the clock 12, having a hammer 11, adapted to impinge upon an arm 9 of said tripper-lever, substantially as set forth.

6. In a device for the purpose specified, the combination with the plug of a fluid-controlling cock, of an operating-lever fulcrumed on said plug for rotating it, a cut-01f weight suspended from said lever, a movable support for said weight to hold the latter in inoperative position, means for locking said support in its supporting position, a clock mechanism adapted to actuate, at a predetermined time, said locking means for freeing the cut-off weight, and adjustable detent devices for regulating the extent of movement of the cutoff plug, whereby the control of the flow of the fluid may be accurately regulated.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name, this 9th day of August, 1902, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ANDREW WV. KNOX.

Witnesses:

PETER A. Boss, WILLIAM J. FIRTH. 

